


Act of Trust

by BigFootAteMyAss



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Coming Out, s2, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigFootAteMyAss/pseuds/BigFootAteMyAss
Summary: After the wedding at Button house, the captain has some questions for Alison
Relationships: Alison & The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 84





	Act of Trust

The captain peeks his head around the doorframe, peering into the living room of Button house. 

The room that had just a few hours ago been the host to one of the most lively celebrations the house had seen in years was now almost completely back to its former state; the fairy lights that he had helped Alison drape from the ceilings earlier being the last remnants of anything being amiss. They were still on, the only lights illuminating the large room.

The room had also been cleared of all guests, the only person that remained was Alison; the one he was looking for. 

He watched her for a moment as she sat on the couch, with one hand scrolling on her mobile telephone device, or as Julian had called it - her ‘smart phone’, and the other hand to hold up her head. 

“Alison. May I have a word?” he asks, breaking the peaceful silence.

“Yeah, sure, whats up, captain?” She says absentmindedly, without looking up. The captain takes a few steps into the room before he says anything else.

“Well... you see, I was wondering-” he stops, clears his throat, and opens his mouth but closes it again, unsure of what to say and how to say it. Perhaps he should have prepared beforehand.

How is he supposed to ask if the women from earlier would be accepted or ostracised? If they’ll be free to love each other or be forced to live in hiding? And how is he supposed to ask, could he do the same? (If he wasn’t dead of course.)

He perches himself on the edge of the couch next to Alison, his back stiff and straight and hands fiddling with his swagger stick as a distraction, before finally continuing.

“I- I’m quite curious about how life will be for those ladies now.” he gets out.

“The same with any marriage I guess.” she starts, “They didn’t say much about their actual life but I think they're going to the Bahamas for their honeymoon, so it sounds like it'll be good.” she tells him, not really paying attention enough to catch the captains drift.

Cap feels the disappointment at the lack of detail in Alison's answer, and is unsure on how he should rephrase - afraid to be too explicit with his questioning. 

He wonders briefly if he should just take this as a chance to stop while ahead, take the answer and drop the subject, in order to avoid having to explain what he was really asking. 

To expose these feelings that he has kept buried deep within, is something he has dreaded for far longer than his own lifetime. 

However, he thinks, if what Alison said earlier does expand to the men like him as he hopes, then perhaps… he doesn’t have to hide them for much longer.  
The hopeful curiosity was enough for him to press forward. 

“I mean, how uh- how will life be for them as two women.- Married women. To each other” he stutters out, “That's allowed now, you say?”

His question causes Alison to perk up, head lifting from her hand to allow her to study the captain's face with squinted eyes as she realises just what the captain was trying to ask.

She puts down her phone and readjusts on the couch, sitting up and turning to face the captain in order to pay more attention to the ghost next to her, making the captain feel trepidation under the watchful eye of the woman.

Alison has noticed the way the captain talks about men,and remembers the way he had followed the director around a few months back - clearly infatuated with the man - and wanted to get this right, now she realises why he is asking.

“Um, well, yeah, Captain, it’s legal now. They legalised same-sex marriage about 6 years ago I think, in 2014” she tells him, “it’s not perfect out there,I will admit that, but we’ve come a long way in recent years and its only improving. You can be open with who you love and there are laws protecting people from discrimination and stuff” she continues, her sincerity and care laced in her voice.

The captain nods his head slowly, eyes squinted as though deep in thought, letting Alison know that he is processing what she has said. 

He knew the views on homosexuality were not as extreme as they had been during his time - hell, he could have been shot if anyone had known how he even dared to think of men the way that he did- but before the wedding at Button house today, the last that he had known was that it was still widley frowned upon. 

Hearing that the world has made so much progress in such a short time comforted him, and gave him hope for the future generations of people like him.

His brain had also honed in on one sentence of Alison’s. ‘Same-sex’. It repeats in his head, that has got to include him too, right? These aren't just laws for women? 

He doesn’t particularly want to expose himself, and he knows asking will expose him, but he does want to ask. So bad. He believes he trusts Alison enough to ask, and so he does.

“And when you say ‘same-sex’, Alison, that goes for two men, as well? A man can, say-” he falters, clears his throat again, before continuing, “marry another man, if he so wishes?” he asks, to get the clarification he so desires, nervous for the answer.

A gentle smile comes across Alison's face, head tilting to the side as she does so, and she wishes she could just reach out and hug the captain. 

“Yes - anyone can marry anyone that they would like to, Cap, and that includes men”

Alison’s smile spreads to the captain now, and he finds his body relaxes subconsciously. An ever present tenseness that he has carried through life and in death, finally released. 

Sitting with Alison, and with this new information, he feels a sense of comfort overtake his ghostly form. 

His fingers tap methodically against his swagger stick.  
“That is very good news.” he states, “yes… very good news indeed.” he repeats again, more to himself this time. 

Alison makes a noise of agreement, relaxing back against the couch once again, and they sit together in silence for a moment more.

The captain's mind manages to wander back to his lost love, and he can’t help but wonder how life would have turned out had they been allowed to express their love. 

He has never mentioned his past relationship to a single soul, however as he sits here with Alison, he feels an overwhelming sense of respect and understanding- it swirls in his chest, and it's a feeling that leaves him trusting this woman. His friend.

“I think… I would have liked to get married. If I could have.” The captain admits aloud for the first time in his existence, as his own way of confession. 

Alisons mouth is agape, she had not been expecting captain to share such information with him. She was literally calling him captain! 

“Yeah?” she asks carefully. “Is there anyone you think of?”

The captain turns his head back towards Alison, hands wringing his swagger stick again.

“My second in command. Lieutenant William Havers.” he tells her, “I was in love with him, and it was mutual. However, he was afraid - not that I wasn't too, of course- and we never told a single soul. He ended up leaving to fight in North Africa.” 

The confession hangs heavy over the two, but in a way that feels more reminiscent rather than sorrowful.

“captain… I'm sorry” she says,

“It's fine, Alison. Had things gone differently, then perhaps I wouldn't have been here to see how far the world would come. I wouldn’t know the other ghosts, and I wouldn't have met you.”

“Aww, thank you, cap. I'm really glad I was able to meet you” Alison tells him with a smile, bringing an end to their conversation. 

Content with their conversation, The captain bids Alison goodnight and leaves for his room. 

Head full of memories of his time with Havers leaves him with a melancholy feeling in his heart, and though he knows that nothing can change the past - he finally feels hopeful for those of the future.

**Author's Note:**

> hey lads i didnt know how to finish this but hope it was alright.


End file.
